Quran Universe
17:41

وَلَقَدۡ صَرَّفۡنَا فِي هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ لِيَذَّكَّرُواْ وَمَا يَزِيدُهُمۡ إِلَّا نُفُورٗا

Walaqad sarrafna fee hatha alqurani liyaththakkaroo wama yazeeduhum illa nufooran

And We have certainly diversified [the contents] in this Qur'an that mankind may be reminded, but it does not increase the disbelievers except in aversion.

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd verily
  2. صَرَّفۡنَاWe have explained
  3. فِيin
  4. هَٰذَاthis
  5. ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِthe Quran
  6. لِيَذَّكَّرُواْthat they may take heed
  7. وَمَاbut not
  8. يَزِيدُهُمۡit increases them
  9. إِلَّاexcept
  10. نُفُورٗا(in) aversion
Al-Isra · 17:41Makkah

Explained in many ways, yet some only run further.

The same reminder can soften or harden

The Quran explains
many wayswarnings, proofs, lessons
so that
they remember
but some
turn away more
What decides it
the messageit was not clear
the listenerthe heart that hears

Ibn Kathir explains that Allah set out His warnings in many forms so people would remember the proof and be held back from shirk and wrongdoing. But the wrongdoers among them only went further from the truth.

A friend sends you a reminder and you feel annoyed, not grateful. The khutbah topic hits too close and you tune out. That pull away is worth noticing. The same words that push you off can bring you back if you stay.

If a reminder makes me uncomfortable, it is badly delivered.

When I want to turn away from a reminder, that is the moment to listen harder.

Try this

Think of the last reminder that annoyed you. Reread it today with an open heart.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And surely, We have explained in this Qur'an that they may take heed, but it increases them in naught save aversion.) Allah say (41)

وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا فِي هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ

(And surely, We have explained in this Qur'an) meaning, 'We have explained Our warnings so that they may remember the proof, evidence and exhortations contained therein, and be prevented from Shirk, wrong-doing and scandal.'

وَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ

(but it increases them in naught) the wrong-doers among them

إِلَّا نُفُورًا

(save aversion.) aversion towards the truth; they go further away from it.